Margaret Leila Vyner, also known by her married name Margaret Williams (3 December 1914 in Armidale, New South Wales – 30 October 1993 in Reading, England) was an Australian-born model and actress who appeared in British films. She collaborated with husband Hugh Williams on a number of successful theatre projects in the 1950s and 1960s.

Modelling and acting career

Vyner was the daughter of New South Wales pastoralist Robert Vyner. She attended

Ascham School , motto_translation = With Heart and Soul , established = , type = Independent, day and boarding , gender = Girls , educational_authority = , oversight = , district = , denomination = , slogan = , ...

and later, Miss Jean Cheriton's Doone finishing school at Edgecliff, to whom, she said, she owed a great deal. Her first employment as a junior salesgirl at department store David Jones in Sydney was, in her own words, "a dismal and unqualified failure."

Hal Porter Harold Edward "Hal" Porter (16 February 1911 – 29 September 1984) was an Australian novelist, playwright, poet and short story writer. Biography Porter was born in Albert Park, Victoria, grew up in Bairnsdale, and worked as a journalist, te ...

,(1965)''Stars of Australian Stage and Screen.'' pps 227-229. Rigby, Adelaide. In the early 1930s she won a role in the stage production of '' Florodora.'' Other successful work on stage in Australia followed, mostly in supporting roles, including ''Blue Roses'' and ''The Merry Widow.'' According to granddaughter Kate Dunn, she sailed for England in 1933, but left the ship at Naples. Making her way overland to Paris, she was hired by French couturier, Jean Patou, first as a general "dog's body", later working her way up to be a leading mannequin.Kate Dunn(Ed.)(1995)''Always and Always. Wartime letters of Hugh and Margaret Williams.'' John Murray, London. ISBN 9 780719 554728 By 1935 she was well established and widely admired as a successful model. About this time,

Cole Porter Cole Albert Porter (June 9, 1891 – October 15, 1964) was an American composer and songwriter. Many of his songs became standards noted for their witty, urbane lyrics, and many of his scores found success on Broadway and in film. Born to ...

added the following lines to his song " You're the Top" from the musical '' Anything Goes'': "You're the top, You're an ocean liner, You're the top, You're Margaret Vyner." She also worked for fashion designer Norman Hartnell in London and toured the United States and Canada modelling his collection. She returned to Australia for Christmas 1935, and won a supporting role in Miles Mander's film ''

The Flying Doctor ''The Flying Doctor'' is a 1936 Australian-British drama film directed by Miles Mander and starring Charles Farrell, Mary Maguire and James Raglan. The Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia operate in the Australian Outback. Noted as Austr ...

'', made in early 1936.

Marriage and collaboration with Hugh Williams

Kate Dunn claims that Vyner first saw future husband, British actor and playwright Hugh Williams on stage when he toured Australia in the late 1920s. They met on board ship travelling to the United States in late 1937 and married on 21 June 1940. Both Williams and Vyner made films in the late 1930s; however, the situation changed on the outbreak of war, when Williams, then aged 35, felt duty bound to join the British Army. During the war, Vyner made considerable effort to maintain a good relationship with Williams' first wife, Gwynne Whitby and share in the upbringing of their two daughters, Loo and Prue. With Williams, she had two sons and a daughter:

Hugh Hugh may refer to: *Hugh (given name) Noblemen and clergy French * Hugh the Great (died 956), Duke of the Franks * Hugh Magnus of France (1007–1025), co-King of France under his father, Robert II * Hugh, Duke of Alsace (died 895), modern-day ...

, Simon and Polly. After the war, Williams struggled to re-establish himself as an actor and the family faced financial difficulties. In the early 1950s, Williams and Vyner began to collaborate on a number of plays. These were successful and included ''Plaintiff in a Pretty Hat'', '' The Grass is Greener'' and '' Charlie Girl''. They later collaborated on the screenplay for the film adaptation of The Grass is Greener. Son Hugo Williams said: "Both my parents placed huge importance on appearance and being amusing. If you opened your mouth you'd better have something amusing to say. It didn't matter whether it was true or not, so long as it was lightly amusing." Following Hugh Williams' death from cancer in December 1969, Vyner remarried. She died in 1993.

Filmography

* ''

'' (1936) * '' Sensation'' (1936) * '' Midnight Menace'' (1937) * ''

The Cavalier of the Streets ''The Cavalier of the Streets'' is a 1937 British comedy film directed by Harold French and starring Margaret Vyner, Patrick Barr and Carl Harbord. It was filmed at Pinewood Studios. An aristocratic lady is blackmailed. Plot In this courtroom ...

'' (1937) * ''

Incident in Shanghai ''Incident in Shanghai'' is a 1938 British drama film directed by John Paddy Carstairs and starring Margaret Vyner, Patrick Barr, Ralph Roberts and Derek Gorst. It was made at Pinewood Studios as a quota quickie for release by Paramount Pictur ...

'' (1938) * '' Sailing Along'' (1938) * '' Climbing High'' (1938) * ''

Dangerous Comment Dangerous may refer to: Film and television * ''Dangerous'' (1935 film), an American film starring Bette Davis * '' Dangerous: The Short Films'', a 1993 collection of music videos by Michael Jackson * ''Dangerous'' (2021 film), a Canadian-Ameri ...

'' (1940, short) * ''

This Man Is Dangerous ''This Man Is Dangerous'' (U.S. title: ''The Patient Vanishes'') is a 1941 British thriller film, directed by Lawrence Huntington and starring James Mason and Gordon McLeod. The film is based on the 1934 novel ''They Called Him Death'' by Da ...

'' (1941) * ''

The Young Mr. Pitt ''The Young Mr. Pitt'' is a 1942 British biographical film of the life of William Pitt the Younger and in particular his struggle against revolutionary France and Napoleon. It was directed by Carol Reed and stars Robert Donat, Robert Morley, ...

'' (1942) * ''

Picture People An image is a visual representation of something. It can be two-dimensional, three-dimensional, or somehow otherwise feed into the visual system to convey information. An image can be an artifact, such as a photograph or other two-dimensiona ...

'' (1943, documentary) * '' The Lamp Still Burns'' (1943) * ''

Mr. Emmanuel ''Mr Emmanuel'' is a 1944 British drama film directed by Harold French and starring Felix Aylmer, Greta Gynt and Walter Rilla. The film was made by Two Cities at Teddington Studios. It is based on a 1938 novel of the same title by Louis Goldin ...

'' (1944) * '' Give Me the Stars'' (1945) * ''

Twilight Hour ''Twilight Hour'' is a 1945 British Drama (film and television), drama film directed by Paul L. Stein and starring Mervyn Johns, Basil Radford, and Marie Lohr. It was shot at the British National Studios in Elstree. The film's sets were designed b ...

'' (1945) * '' Encore'' (1951) * '' Something Money Can't Buy'' (1952)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Vyner, Margaret 1914 births 1993 deaths Australian film actresses People educated at Ascham School People from Armidale Australian female models 20th-century Australian actresses Australian emigrants to the United Kingdom